INTO THE BLUE 17 



for there was a gold rush on down in Tanganyika 

 and every available ox and transport had been 

 gobbled up. 



However, by sending messages and runners to the 

 Boer farmers roundabout I managed to secure a 

 few oxen, and Percival, whose sure hand and ex- 

 perience were to be with us for a time at Lake 

 Paradise, got me over a bunch of thirty mules 

 from a Nairobi cartage concern. Later I had a 

 total of sixteen oxen besides my mules. My 

 wagons and lorries, heavily loaded, I now sent on 

 ahead, northward to Isiolo, two himdred and fifty 

 miles on the way to Lake Paradise, the latter being 

 our home and the greatest game sanctuary I have 

 ever seen. I had already sent word to Isiolo to two 

 friends. Dr. McDonough and Rattray, the former 

 being government veterinary and the latter busy 

 catching and training zebra. I asked them to 

 put up my transports and look after my boys 

 until I arrived. I then wired to Nyeri, a hun- 

 dred miles north, where there was a lonely tele- 

 graph station, and ordered four more ox wagons 

 with a hundred loads of posho and four hundred 

 gallons of petrol, as well as lubricating oil and 

 kerosene, to proceed to the rendezvous at Isiolo. I 

 was relieved when I got word that all were on the 

 way. The rainy season was due in about a month. 

 If it should strike us sooner my transports would 



